FIDIS (EU FP6)

The European Information Society (EIS) requires technologies which address trust and security yet also preserve the privacy of individuals. As the EIS develops, the increasingly digital representation of personal characteristics changes our ways of identifying individuals, and supplementary digital identities, so-called virtual identities, embodying concepts such as pseudonymity and anonymity, are being created for security, profit, convenience or even for fun. These new identities are feeding back into the world of social and business affairs, offering a mix of plural identities and challenging traditional notions of identity. At the same time, European states manage identities in very different ways. For example, in Germany holding an ID card is mandatory for every adult, while in the UK state-issued ID cards do not exist. FIDIS objectives are shaping the requirements for the future management of identity in the EIS and contributing to the technologies and infrastructures needed.

The project receives research funding from the EU's 6th Framework Programme.